Heavy Flak - 88 or 105 mm heavy guns

[Jerome Ribeiro]

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for such precise information.

On a german photo dated end'39, it is mentioned that the air victory over french bomber was the result of the 1/902 that it to say the first battery of heavy Flak-unit 902. Apparently the 1/902 was equipped with heavy guns (88 or 105 mm).

Hence my question: what is the constitution of a Flak unit then a battery in terms of gunneries (88 or 105mm) and men (servant) needed to operate the Flak?

Cheers

Jerome

[George Hopp]

There were indeed 88mm guns in use during WW1, but the Flak 18 owed nothing to them. Its development was started in 1925, and the gun and ammunition were quite different from earlier guns - the only thing it shared in common was the calibre.

You're correct, Tony. I was dazzled by the fact that in 1915 the design of a new 8,8 cm AA gun was directed. And, it came into service in 1918.

Hence my question: what is the constitution of a Flak unit then a battery in terms of gunneries (88 or 105mm) and men (servant) needed to operate the Flak?

A typical heavy mobile (not motorized) Flak battery had the following: 2 officers, 21 NCOs, 81 ORs, with 2 light MGs, 2 2-cm-Flak, 6 8,8-cm-Flak, 2 cars, 9 trailers, 2 motorcycles. From Koch's "Flak."

[Jerome Ribeiro]

Hi George,

Interesting the constitution of the heavy 8,8-cm Flak Battery;

Do you know whether or not it is the same configuration for an 10,5-cm Flak Battery?

What stand for the acronym NCO and OR?

Do you have also a picture of a 10,5-cm Flak Battery because I got one but quite fuzzy?


Best Regards

Jerome

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Jerome Ribeiro

What stand for the acronym NCO and OR?

Non-Commissioned Officers
Other Ranks

[ChrisMAg2]

FYI:
NCO in German is Unteroffizier(e)/ Unteroffiziersdienstgrad(e), consisting of the ranks: Unteroffizier (Uffz.), Unterfeldwebel (UFw), Feldwebel (Fw), Oberfeldwebel (OFw), Hauptfeldwebel (HFw).

Everything above approx. 7,5cm in the FlaK is regarded "heavy".